Chinese ban of travel to South Korea includes cruises - report

Chinese tourism authorities have ordered a total ban on tours, including package tours, to South Korea starting from March 15th. “Online travel agencies were also ordered not to sell South Korean tour products and cruise ships were banned from calling at South Korean ports,’ Korea Broadcasting Service (KBS) said on its website.

“The South Korean embassy in Beijing has launched an emergency task force to minimize damage on Korean residents and businesses caused by China's intensifying retaliation over Seoul's pending deployment of a U.S. missile defense system,” the report stated.

“The embassy held the first task force meeting on Friday and discussed ways to ensure the safety of South Koreans in China including students and tourists, and also examined potential damage Korean companies could suffer,” KBS concluded.